Related Stories

In an op-ed in the Journal de Montreal Saturday, former Quebec premier Jacques Parizeau says that the Parti Quebecois is at a crossroads and needs to re-evaluate its objectives in order to thrive in the future.

According to Parizeau, the PQ is treating sovereignty as a "sort of flag that we wave from time to time in order to whet the appetite of our base."

The former premier said that after last month's crushing defeat, the separatist party has two choices: Either it decides that the sovereignty of Quebec is "not politically viable," or the party has to "rediscover its raison d'etre and rediscover its goals."

Parizeau wrote that over the last two decades the PQ has fallen into a trap of being demonized by the Quebec Liberals for floating the idea of a referendum. Parizeau said that putting the PQ on the defensive has scared and confused its voting base.